Tried and true recipes and tips

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Frosting Tips and Hints

When making butter cream frosting for spice and carrot cakes, use one-half cup maple syrup instead of milk and vanilla extract.

When making frosting consisting of milk or cream and sugar, add 1 teaspoon white corn syrup for each cup of sugar used. Boil in the usual way. Your finished product will be much smoother and not so apt to become sugary.

Press cookie cutter shapes lightly into cake icing, then fill in the outline with tinted icing in desired colors.

Canned frosting makes a quick, easy glaze for Bundt cakes and cream puffs. Just put it in a small glass or plastic bowl and microwave it for about 15 to 30 seconds on HIGH. You can pour it over the top of your baked treat with no trouble.

Try making confectioners’ sugar frosting with peanut butter instead of regular butter. It is healthy, flavorful and colorful.

To make a smooth-looking frosting, first frost cake with a thin layer of icing. When this “base” coat sets, apply a second final coat. It goes on easily and looks superb.

To color and flavor confectioners’ sugar frosting, add a bit of unsweetened powdered drink mix. Orange and lemon are especially tasty. Mix in until you get the desired color and flavor. The results are delicious!

When using a white frosting, different flavors of gelatin powder may be sprinkled on top to produce different and unusual flavors and designs.

Use a new watercolor brush to write a message on plain confectioners’ sugar icing. Dip the brush in food coloring and write the message.

For a nice decoration on white frosting, shave colored gumdrops very thin and stick on. They will curl like little roses.

A good topping for gingerbread, coffeecake, etc. can be made by using the syrup from canned fruit and adding 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to 2 cups fruit syrup. Heat until bubbly, then thicken with 2 tablespoons flour.